When Jesus went out preaching, I am pretty sure everyone could hear him. Whether he spoke to five people or 5,000, every word went directly into the ears of his followers. I guess we could call that a miracle. Anyway, fast-forward 2,000 years, and we find out that a lot of people just can’t hear what the preacher is preaching.
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted. Beyond the more obvious requirements for things such as wheelchair ramps and restroom accessibility for the disabled, the ADA has been expanded several times over the past 20-plus years and now includes very specific guidelines for assistive listening systems, also known as ALS. These apply to government and commercial facilities, public accommodations and houses of worship. Facilities constructed since the enactment of the ADA (including both new construction and renovations) may require ADA compliance.
I won’t go into all the details of the law, but you can check out the ADA requirements online at ada.gov/ada_req_ta.htm. Of particular note, the ADA’s Table 219.3 will tell you how many receivers you will need per number of seats in your church. It ranges from two (for 50 or less) to 55 (for 2,000 seats), with an additional one receiver for every 100 seats above the 2,000 mark.
Let’s examine some of the ALS and ALD (assisted listening devices) systems on the market and what may be coming in the future. There are quite a few companies that build these devices. Basically, these listening systems consist of a transmitter (RF or infrared) and one or more wireless receivers; or, alternately, an induction loop system — which is essentially a large coil that magnetically transmits sound to hearing aids equipped with a telecoil (T-coil) feature.
Either way, what we have here is similar to a personal monitor system, or one used for “silent disco” events (for more on that topic, see this month’s The Biz column by Dan Daley on page 48). The idea is to put the service directly into the ears of the listener. It’s up to the mix engineer to decide what instruments and voices will be sent to the assistive listening transmitter and, ultimately, to the listener. The only difference from a personal monitor system is that the listener cannot control their own mix — only the volume of their mix. Ideally, you want a single transmitter with the ability to drive a whole lot of receivers.
Some Systems
I researched a lot of systems and features, but I have never really used any of these. So I am imagining what would be good in my church and, hopefully, in yours. One thing I would like mention before we go on is that, as of July 11, 2013, the FCC allows both 72 MHz and 216 MHz for translation and assisted listening use. This now gives us a larger playing field when it comes to these systems.
Starting with a relatively inexpensive system (less than $500 for a four-receiver setup), there’s the Nady ADL-800. Transmitting at 75.9 MHz, this unit will support an unlimited number of receivers within a 300-foot radius. The receivers are lightweight belt-packs that will easily fit in a pocket or clip to clothing. They have an LED indicator, power/volume wheel and (supplied) ear buds, but they will also accommodate consumer headphones.
Making a quantum leap in both performance and construction quality is the Sennheiser 2020-D-US. This digital RF system includes a rackmount transmitter with eight separate channels and front mount antenna, along with five digital headphone receivers. These headphones have the receivers built-in, and the system includes a battery charger/case and ADA signage kit. This package has buckets of features, but comes in at more than $4,000. I personally like digital — it can carry a signal flawlessly, but it will cost you.
I also like the Try Listen FM ALS. This unit transmits the signal at 72 MHz, which is received by three portable FM digital receivers and three sets of ear-buds. Of course, you can add as many receivers as you like and, if ear-buds are not your thing, headphones also work equally well these receivers. The digital belt clip receivers look like solid and stylish. They feature large on/off volume controls and LED screen. This outfit falls in the $1,000 range and, like all these systems, it comes with a signage kit that lets the congregation know you have complied with the ADA and listening devices are available.
Gentner’s TX-37A transmitter can operate on 37 FCC frequencies. The transmitter is loaded with the patented Aphex Aural Exciter, compression and limiting. The enhanced signal is sent to the Gentner digital receivers. This receiver has an LCD display, large on/off and volume controls, built in pocket/belt clip, wrist strap and ear bud. And the two AA batteries allow for more than 40 hours of use.
ALS Light
Entirely sidestepping the FCC debacle are systems that transmit over invisible infrared light. These require a direct line-of-sight between the emitter (sending unit) and the listeners, so some planning is necessary when placing the sender unit. Some infrared systems can offer the ability to transmit over several channels simultaneously (for stereo or multiple languages) and have the advantages of operating in congested RF environments.
Companies that make these include Sennheiser (with numerous systems available) and Williams Sound (the WIR TX925 SoundPlus). This two-channel system has an IR emitter that comes in white for the church market. Its receivers are the belt clip/pocket type, and the units can run on alkaline or rechargeable batteries. Williams Sound designed this Under-$2,000 product to operate in small, medium and large facilities.
In The Loop
As they operate with the user’s own hearing aids, induction loop systems (available from several manufacturers) can be a cost-effective solution and are gaining in popularity as more of today’s hearing aids are telecoil-compatible. Due to the large amount of loop wire required to cover your listening area, induction loop installation can be more complex than RF or IR systems, especially in steel-structure buildings. Also available are individual neck loop systems that can receive an IR/RF signal and send it to the wearer’s own hearing aid. Facilities with induction loops often supplement their systems with RF or infrared units for parishioners without T-coil-equipped aids.
There are so many systems available out there that it can be hard to narrow the field down. You will have to decide what is best for your particular house of worship and what features you will need. As far as the future goes for ADA and ALS, the laws are on the books, but it is up to you how you will accommodate those in your congregation who are hearing impaired. And when it comes to ALS compliance, it is really a matter of the heart, not just the law. When you think about it, it makes sense to try to ensure that everyone who visits your house of worship can hear the church leader’s message — loud and clear.
